The Inner Sun

Use your own light and return to the source of light. This is called practicing eternity.

-Lao Tzu

One of the more interesting gifts I’ve received as a teacher was a bright-yellow Brazilian Melon. A student in a retreat gave it to me a few years ago as a symbol of the lightness she felt in the days following our time together. For me, it was a sweet reminder of the inner sun that yoga reveals within us.

This is the Prana Shakti. Like a sun inside ourselves, prana is the source energy that animates our bodies, enlivens our senses and powers our minds.

I spent a luxurious amount of time this weekend watching the sun illumine the fields and mountains around my home, everything bathed in its bright, golden light. It struck me that the practices of yoga illuminate our inner being in much the same way.

Within the body-mind, we might experience the expansion of Prana as it brightens our interior being with greater vitality and magnifies our consciousness. It illuminates our awareness and fortifies our inner being. It radiates a sense of peace and lightheartedness that encourages a broader, wiser perspective on our lives. 

How do you experience the inner effects of your practices from the perspective of prana?